Missouri teachers are among those who will be eligible to next receive the COVID-19 in Phase 1B - Tier 3, once that's activated by the state.

Missouri educators are trying to speed up that process.

Darbie Valenti-Huff, the curriculum advisor for the St. Joseph School District, was named the Missouri Teacher of the Year in 2017.

She, along with the last four Teacher of the Year winners in the state, penned a letter to Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services Director, Dr. Randall Williams.

The other signees are Darrion Cockrell (Lindbergh), Melissa Grandel (Fordland), Shelly Parks (Francis Howell) and Beth Davey (Ritenour).

The intent, the letter says, is to "prioritize Missouri school teachers and support staff for immediate vaccination."

"We are connected with teachers in rural, suburban and urban areas," Valenti-Huff said of the Teacher of the Year recipients who signed the letter. "So, we just try to do our best to represent them and be a voice for them. This is something we've had a lot of teachers express concern over. So, we felt like it was time to step up and be a voice for those teachers."

Over 94 percent of Missouri educators support keeping kids in school. Valenti-Huff is among those. The St. Joseph School District made the return to full-time, in-person learning this semester.

Valenti-Huff commends the district for the work they've done to keep students and staff safe. Now, she wants state health officials to do their part.

"I want our kids in schools," Valenti-Huff said, "but I also want our students and staff to be safe. To insure that, we need to make sure our teachers are vaccinated so we can insure our teachers are healthy and so our students remain healthy, too."

Valenti-Huff and the four other Teachers of the Year penned their letter on February 10. As of Tuesday afternoon, they had not received any correspondence or feedback from Dr. Williams or anyone at the state level.

"There's been lots of people advocating on behalf of teachers," Valenti-Huff said. "So, I think (Dr. Williams) is very well aware of our concerns. So, hopefully this letter just reiterated that our teachers are still wanting these vaccines."

Of the eight states that border Missouri, seven of them have at least some COVID-19 vaccines available to educators. Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee are among the 26 U.S. states currently vaccinating school staff.

The one state bordering Missouri that hasn't started vaccinated teachers yet is Oklahoma, though they're set to start offering the shot to educators on February 22.

Missouri activated Phase 1b - Tier 2 of its COVID vaccination plan on January 14. This includes anyone age 65 or older, first responders, emergency management and public works employees and any individual considered to be "high risk" with underlying health conditions.

Medical personnel and residents of long-term care were among the first Missourians to receive the COVID vaccine.

Valenti-Huff says the expectation is for Missouri teachers to be vaccinated in April, which she worries may be too late.

"We'd love to see it happen a little sooner," she said. "Even if we remain in the same tier. But, I'm just afraid that (April) will be too late in the school year."

A study published by the CDC in December found that "attending school and child care was not associated with children receiving positive COVID-19 test results."

While it's unknown exactly how many teachers have died of COVID-19, a report from the American Federation of Teachers, one of the nation's largest teachers' unions, knows of at least 530 educators nationwide who have died from virus complications.

There's no indication that teachers are being infected, or dying, at a higher rate than people in other professions. It's also difficult to exactly say how the teachers who died contracted the virus.

It's also not known how many Missouri educators have died from COVID-19, but 34-year-old AshLee DeMarinis, a special education teacher at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, was among them.

Valenti-Huff would rather Missourians be safe than sorry, and not add to the trend.

"I've been really impressed with how it's gone locally," Valenti-Huff said. "I just know at the state level, we've unfortunately lost so many teachers and students through this, and we don't want to see that be a trend that continues."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613598287068.jpeg" alt="Darbie Valenti-Huff, a curriculum advisor for the St. Joseph School District, and Missouri's Teacher of the Year in 2017, co-wrote and signed a letter to the state's Department of Health and Senior Services, asking for immediate vaccination of Missouri educators." />
 <figcaption>Darbie Valenti-Huff, a curriculum advisor for the St. Joseph School District, and Missouri's Teacher of the Year in 2017, co-wrote and signed a letter to the state's Department of Health and Senior Services, asking for immediate vaccination of Missouri educators.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostMissouri teachers are among those who will be eligible to next receive the COVID-19 in Phase 1B - Tier 3, once that's activated by the state.Missouri educators are trying to speed up that process.Darbie Valenti-Huff, the curriculum advisor for the St. Joseph School District, was named the Missouri Teacher of the Year in 2017.She, along with the last four Teacher of the Year winners in the state, penned a letter to Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services Director, Dr. Randall Williams.The other signees are Darrion Cockrell (Lindbergh), Melissa Grandel (Fordland), Shelly Parks (Francis Howell) and Beth Davey (Ritenour).The intent, the letter says, is to "prioritize Missouri school teachers and support staff for immediate vaccination.""We are connected with teachers in rural, suburban and urban areas," Valenti-Huff said of the Teacher of the Year recipients who signed the letter. "So, we just try to do our best to represent them and be a voice for them. This is something we've had a lot of teachers express concern over. So, we felt like it was time to step up and be a voice for those teachers."Over 94 percent of Missouri educators support keeping kids in school. Valenti-Huff is among those. The St. Joseph School District made the return to full-time, in-person learning this semester.Valenti-Huff commends the district for the work they've done to keep students and staff safe. Now, she wants state health officials to do their part."I want our kids in schools," Valenti-Huff said, "but I also want our students and staff to be safe. To insure that, we need to make sure our teachers are vaccinated so we can insure our teachers are healthy and so our students remain healthy, too."Valenti-Huff and the four other Teachers of the Year penned their letter on February 10. As of Tuesday afternoon, they had not received any correspondence or feedback from Dr. Williams or anyone at the state level."There's been lots of people advocating on behalf of teachers," Valenti-Huff said. "So, I think (Dr. Williams) is very well aware of our concerns. So, hopefully this letter just reiterated that our teachers are still wanting these vaccines."Of the eight states that border Missouri, seven of them have at least some COVID-19 vaccines available to educators. Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee are among the 26 U.S. states currently vaccinating school staff.The one state bordering Missouri that hasn't started vaccinated teachers yet is Oklahoma, though they're set to start offering the shot to educators on February 22.Missouri activated Phase 1b - Tier 2 of its COVID vaccination plan on January 14. This includes anyone age 65 or older, first responders, emergency management and public works employees and any individual considered to be "high risk" with underlying health conditions.Medical personnel and residents of long-term care were among the first Missourians to receive the COVID vaccine.Valenti-Huff says the expectation is for Missouri teachers to be vaccinated in April, which she worries may be too late."We'd love to see it happen a little sooner," she said. "Even if we remain in the same tier. But, I'm just afraid that (April) will be too late in the school year."A study published by the CDC in December found that "attending school and child care was not associated with children receiving positive COVID-19 test results."While it's unknown exactly how many teachers have died of COVID-19, a report from the American Federation of Teachers, one of the nation's largest teachers' unions, knows of at least 530 educators nationwide who have died from virus complications.There's no indication that teachers are being infected, or dying, at a higher rate than people in other professions. It's also difficult to exactly say how the teachers who died contracted the virus.It's also not known how many Missouri educators have died from COVID-19, but 34-year-old AshLee DeMarinis, a special education teacher at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, was among them.Valenti-Huff would rather Missourians be safe than sorry, and not add to the trend."I've been really impressed with how it's gone locally," Valenti-Huff said. "I just know at the state level, we've unfortunately lost so many teachers and students through this, and we don't want to see that be a trend that continues."<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/987657139&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/darbie-valenti-huff-discusses-getting-missouri-teachers-vaccinated" title="Darbie Valenti-Huff discusses getting Missouri teachers vaccinated." target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Darbie Valenti-Huff discusses getting Missouri teachers vaccinated.</a></div></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m scheduled for my second vaccine this Thursday. I wish that other states would prioritize educators as <a href="https://twitter.com/GovCox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovCox</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/UtahDepOfHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UtahDepOfHealth</a> have.&mdash; Kellie May (@kellie_holm_may) <a href="https://twitter.com/kellie_holm_may/status/1361434273962545152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph educator signs letter to Missouri DHSS, urging vaccines for teachers ASAP

Due to weather related vaccine shipment issues, Mosaic Life Care announced Wednesday that all first dose COVID-19 appointments at the East Hills Shopping Center in St. Joseph scheduled for this Thursday and Friday have been moved.

All first dose appointments on Thursday, February 18 have been moved to Thursday, February 25 at the same time. 

All first dose appointments on Friday, February 19 have been moved to Friday, February 26 at the same time as well.

Mosaic says in a Facebook post that second dose appointments are not affected by these changes.

The St. Joseph Health Department says nearly 9,000 Buchanan County residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so far.

<div><div id="fb-root"></div>
<script async defer crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v9.0" nonce="lmjLwrhT"></script></div><div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MosaicLifeCare/posts/3892992274092507" data-width="500" data-show-text="true"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/MosaicLifeCare/posts/3892992274092507" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">❗️❗️Due to weather related vaccine shipment issues, all first dose appointments at the Community COVID Vaccine Site at...Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MosaicLifeCare/">Mosaic Life Care</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MosaicLifeCare/posts/3892992274092507">Wednesday, February 17, 2021</a></blockquote></div></div>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostDue to weather related vaccine shipment issues, Mosaic Life Care announced Wednesday that all first dose COVID-19 appointments at the East Hills Shopping Center in St. Joseph scheduled for this Thursday and Friday have been moved.All first dose appointments on Thursday, February 18 have been moved to Thursday, February 25 at the same time. All first dose appointments on Friday, February 19 have been moved to Friday, February 26 at the same time as well.Mosaic says in a Facebook post that second dose appointments are not affected by these changes.The St. Joseph Health Department says nearly 9,000 Buchanan County residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so far.

COVID-19 vaccine appointments in St. Joseph this Thursday, Friday postponed a week

St. Joseph’s downtown library is closed until at least
Saturday due to an employee being exposed to COVID-19.

Library officials report the library could remain closed if
additional staff members test positive for the coronavirus.

No services will be available at the downtown library. Library services will continue at the
other three branches of the St. Joseph Public Library.&nbsp; 

Patrons who have items
on reserve will be contacted so the pick-up library may be changed or the
pickup date extended.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph’s downtown library is closed until at least
Saturday due to an employee being exposed to COVID-19.Library officials report the library could remain closed if
additional staff members test positive for the coronavirus.No services will be available at the downtown library. Library services will continue at the
other three branches of the St. Joseph Public Library.&nbsp; Patrons who have items
on reserve will be contacted so the pick-up library may be changed or the
pickup date extended.

Downtown St. Joseph library closed after COVID exposure

Around 5 o’clock last night, health departments across the state of Missouri received an email from Governor Mike Parson stating all COVID-19 vaccination events in partnership with the Missouri National Guard, Department of Health and Senior Services, and State Emergency Management Agency scheduled for this week are cancelled due to severe weather. 

This came as quite a surprise to Administrator Andrew Hoffman for the Andrew County Health Department. . .

"We had planned for these types of weather conditions and we had been looking at the possibility of maybe needing to reschedule some here and there but a total stop to all of them across the state was a surprise," says Hoffman to St. Joseph Post. 

Hoffman says the Governors email did not clearly state why the weather caused the vaccine clinics to be cancelled. 

"I would imagine that their statement that it was due to weather is probably fairly broad. It's probably a combination of getting the vaccine where it needs to go," says Hoffman. "There's a lot of weather events in the southern part of the United States that may inhibit the transportation of the vaccine and it's also partly related I'm sure to the harsh conditions that we're all being exposed to with the weather conditions. Again, I can't speak for the Governer but I would imagine that there's probably a couple fronts on that weather that's affecting all of this." 

Hoffman says they can't schedule the next vaccine days until they know when they are getting the next vaccine shipment. 

"We don't want to schedule anything without the assurance that the vaccine is going to be in our hands so that we can give it to community members. That's the first thing we have to nail down, is when are we getting our vaccine shipment? Then at that point we'll have to look at dates and there's a lot of volunteers and there's a lot of community partners that it takes to set up a big event like that," says Hoffman. 

Residents are showing their concern and worry about the vaccine clinic cancellations. 

"Before seven o'clock this morning I already had emails that were coming in and phone calls started," says Hoffman. "People are a little bit confused by the governors actions, they wanted confirmation that yes our event has been cancelled so we're taking a lot of phone calls on that."

Hoffman wants to reassure residents that the Andrew County Health Department is working hard to get the vaccine out to the community. 

"We've been working hard for this entire year trying to deal with COVID-19 and help our community through this and it's not changed. We are still working very long hours. We're working very hard trying to make sure our community is going to be taken care of, so people just need to rest assured that we're doing the best that we can to make sure that their second doses are available and that we'll have future doses for initial and secondary doses," says Hoffman. 

As of right now, they do not know when the clinics will be rescheduled. To stay up to date, sign up on vaccine navigator for the latest notifications on clinic availability. 

By WHITNEE ICE St. Joseph PostAround 5 o’clock last night, health departments across the state of Missouri received an email from Governor Mike Parson stating all COVID-19 vaccination events in partnership with the Missouri National Guard, Department of Health and Senior Services, and State Emergency Management Agency scheduled for this week are cancelled due to severe weather. This came as quite a surprise to Administrator Andrew Hoffman for the Andrew County Health Department. . ."We had planned for these types of weather conditions and we had been looking at the possibility of maybe needing to reschedule some here and there but a total stop to all of them across the state was a surprise," says Hoffman to St. Joseph Post. Hoffman says the Governors email did not clearly state why the weather caused the vaccine clinics to be cancelled. "I would imagine that their statement that it was due to weather is probably fairly broad. It's probably a combination of getting the vaccine where it needs to go," says Hoffman. "There's a lot of weather events in the southern part of the United States that may inhibit the transportation of the vaccine and it's also partly related I'm sure to the harsh conditions that we're all being exposed to with the weather conditions. Again, I can't speak for the Governer but I would imagine that there's probably a couple fronts on that weather that's affecting all of this." Hoffman says they can't schedule the next vaccine days until they know when they are getting the next vaccine shipment. "We don't want to schedule anything without the assurance that the vaccine is going to be in our hands so that we can give it to community members. That's the first thing we have to nail down, is when are we getting our vaccine shipment? Then at that point we'll have to look at dates and there's a lot of volunteers and there's a lot of community partners that it takes to set up a big event like that," says Hoffman. Residents are showing their concern and worry about the vaccine clinic cancellations. "Before seven o'clock this morning I already had emails that were coming in and phone calls started," says Hoffman. "People are a little bit confused by the governors actions, they wanted confirmation that yes our event has been cancelled so we're taking a lot of phone calls on that."Hoffman wants to reassure residents that the Andrew County Health Department is working hard to get the vaccine out to the community. "We've been working hard for this entire year trying to deal with COVID-19 and help our community through this and it's not changed. We are still working very long hours. We're working very hard trying to make sure our community is going to be taken care of, so people just need to rest assured that we're doing the best that we can to make sure that their second doses are available and that we'll have future doses for initial and secondary doses," says Hoffman. As of right now, they do not know when the clinics will be rescheduled. To stay up to date, sign up on vaccine navigator for the latest notifications on clinic availability.

Mass COVID-19 vaccines cancelled across the state of Missouri

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 10p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Toyota Tacoma driven by Richard T. Churchill, 62, Maysville, was southbound on Route A five miles north of Maysville.

The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The pickup traveled off the east side of the road.

A private vehicle transported Churchill to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 10p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Toyota Tacoma driven by Richard T. Churchill, 62, Maysville, was southbound on Route A five miles north of Maysville.The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The pickup traveled off the east side of the road.A private vehicle transported Churchill to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

Maysville man hospitalized after pickup accident

St. Joseph health officials report 34 new cases of COVID-19 in Buchanan County since Friday and one new fatality in that time as well.

The victim was a woman in her 80s, bringing the Buchanan County death toll to 158. The county's case total is now 9,946.

What's good - the positivity rate in Buchanan County has dropped to 4.1 percent, which is down from 7.4 percent two weeks prior.

Local hospitalizations are also down. Mosaic Life Care reports only four COVID-19 patients in its system - which is down from 10 the day before.

The amount of vaccines being distributed continues to go up with 8,998 total doses being administered in Buchanan County to date.

Statewide, Missouri reports 472,143 total cases (+260 since Monday) and 7,458 fatalities, an increase of three since Monday.

Kansas reports 287,450 total cases and 4,406 fatalities. Doniphan County, Kansas reports 925 total cases.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph health officials report 34 new cases of COVID-19 in Buchanan County since Friday and one new fatality in that time as well.The victim was a woman in her 80s, bringing the Buchanan County death toll to 158. The county's case total is now 9,946.What's good - the positivity rate in Buchanan County has dropped to 4.1 percent, which is down from 7.4 percent two weeks prior.Local hospitalizations are also down. Mosaic Life Care reports only four COVID-19 patients in its system - which is down from 10 the day before.The amount of vaccines being distributed continues to go up with 8,998 total doses being administered in Buchanan County to date.Statewide, Missouri reports 472,143 total cases (+260 since Monday) and 7,458 fatalities, an increase of three since Monday.Kansas reports 287,450 total cases and 4,406 fatalities. Doniphan County, Kansas reports 925 total cases.

One new COVID-19 death in Buchanan County, positivity rate and hospitalizations falling

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Tuesday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Jeep Cherokee driven by Jennifer C. Russell, 40, Bethany, was eastbound on Route W one mile north of Bethany.

The jeep began to slide on the ice. The vehicle slid through the stop sign at the intersection of Route F and overturned in the ditch.

NTA ambulance transported Russell to Harrison County Community Hospital. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Tuesday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Jeep Cherokee driven by Jennifer C. Russell, 40, Bethany, was eastbound on Route W one mile north of Bethany.The jeep began to slide on the ice. The vehicle slid through the stop sign at the intersection of Route F and overturned in the ditch.NTA ambulance transported Russell to Harrison County Community Hospital. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman hospitalized after jeep slides, overturns

Thousands of area residents experienced a temporary loss of
power this morning as Evergy used rolling blackouts to reduce energy use in
Missouri and Kansas.

Evergy spokesperson Andrew Baker says the utility received an energy
emergency alert from the Southwest Power Pool at 6:45 this morning,
requiring a 10% reduction in power use. Baker says several factors determine
whether Evergy resorts to temporary power outages, including a spike in electricity
use as homes struggled to keep warm during a long cold spell, which culminated with temperatures plummeting to minus-22 in
some of the utility’s service areas.

“It’s the accumulative effect of the long-term cold that we’ve
been in,” Baker tells St. Joseph Post. “Everything requires more energy to stay
warm. Every day that goes by it requires more energy.”

Baker says there is plenty of energy for Missouri and Kansas,
but the extreme cold which has drifted south into states such as Texas put additional
strain on the power grid, making it difficult to keep up with demand. It
triggered an energy emergency alert from the Southwest Power Pool. Evergy is
part of the pool which covers 17 states.

Approximately 170,000 Evergy customers lost power during the temporary
power outages, which lasted between half an hour to an hour.

“What we’re trying to avoid with these temporary blackouts is
so we can avoid those longer blackouts and larger outages that people are
seeing right now in the state of Texas, millions of people without power,”
according to Baker. “Taking people off in small blocks, we’re trying to avoid
that and avoid that situation that they’re seeing down south.”

The
region's coldest weather in decades is creating a high demand for
electricity.&nbsp; It's also driving high demand for natural gas, straining the
gas supply available to generate electricity.

Evergy
began the rolling blackouts Monday afternoon to conserve energy.

Evergy
is encouraging customers to turn their thermostats a little cooler, between
65-68 degrees. They also ask that you avoid using space heaters. You should
also close blinds and shades to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.

Tommy Rezac contributed to this story.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThousands of area residents experienced a temporary loss of
power this morning as Evergy used rolling blackouts to reduce energy use in
Missouri and Kansas.Evergy spokesperson Andrew Baker says the utility received an energy
emergency alert from the Southwest Power Pool at 6:45 this morning,
requiring a 10% reduction in power use. Baker says several factors determine
whether Evergy resorts to temporary power outages, including a spike in electricity
use as homes struggled to keep warm during a long cold spell, which culminated with temperatures plummeting to minus-22 in
some of the utility’s service areas.“It’s the accumulative effect of the long-term cold that we’ve
been in,” Baker tells St. Joseph Post. “Everything requires more energy to stay
warm. Every day that goes by it requires more energy.”Baker says there is plenty of energy for Missouri and Kansas,
but the extreme cold which has drifted south into states such as Texas put additional
strain on the power grid, making it difficult to keep up with demand. It
triggered an energy emergency alert from the Southwest Power Pool. Evergy is
part of the pool which covers 17 states.Approximately 170,000 Evergy customers lost power during the temporary
power outages, which lasted between half an hour to an hour.“What we’re trying to avoid with these temporary blackouts is
so we can avoid those longer blackouts and larger outages that people are
seeing right now in the state of Texas, millions of people without power,”
according to Baker. “Taking people off in small blocks, we’re trying to avoid
that and avoid that situation that they’re seeing down south.”The
region's coldest weather in decades is creating a high demand for
electricity.&nbsp; It's also driving high demand for natural gas, straining the
gas supply available to generate electricity.Evergy
began the rolling blackouts Monday afternoon to conserve energy.Evergy
is encouraging customers to turn their thermostats a little cooler, between
65-68 degrees. They also ask that you avoid using space heaters. You should
also close blinds and shades to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.Tommy Rezac contributed to this story.

Evergy uses rolling blackouts to reduce energy consumption by 10%

After one of the coldest snaps ever across the Midwest and Plains region, temperatures will start to rebound this week and into the weekend.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Temeyer from the Pleasant Hill office says low temperatures will likely drop slightly below zero again on Tuesday night and then start to rebound Wednesday.

However, another round of light snow is coming along with that.

"We'll start to see clouds moving in (Tuesday) evening," Temeyer said. "Initially, temperatures could fall back to zero or below across the region. Once those clouds do move in, I would expect conditions to warm slightly, but that comes with additional amounts of precipitation."

The latest round of snow is expected to start after midnight Tuesday night and last through at least noon Wednesday. Accumulations should be light, but a dusting to three inches is possible with higher amounts likely toward Kansas City and areas south of St. Joseph.

"St. Joe will get kind of a glancing blow of this system," Temeyer pointed out, "with higher amounts along the Missouri River and south. Areas to the north (of KC) should see, generally, around an inch or so."

Temeyer says the snow that's already on the ground has helped keep temperatures low, and it will continue to do so over the next couple of days, though highs by Friday should be in the upper 20s, with 30s expected this weekend and low-to-mid 40s by early next week.

But until then, lows will still be pretty cold. Lows on Wednesday and Thursday night should be anywhere from single digits below or above zero.

"Lows are still going to be extremely cold overnight the next few nights," Temeyer said. "Once we get that warmer air mass into the region, then we're looking at conditions improving. So by Friday or Friday night is when we'll start to see a significant warm up."

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">.<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSKansasCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NWSKansasCity</a> confirms that the low in St. Joseph this morning was -21, which is a new record. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mowx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mowx</a>&mdash; St Joseph Post (@StJosephPost) <a href="https://twitter.com/StJosephPost/status/1361755162784665602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostAfter one of the coldest snaps ever across the Midwest and Plains region, temperatures will start to rebound this week and into the weekend.National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Temeyer from the Pleasant Hill office says low temperatures will likely drop slightly below zero again on Tuesday night and then start to rebound Wednesday.However, another round of light snow is coming along with that."We'll start to see clouds moving in (Tuesday) evening," Temeyer said. "Initially, temperatures could fall back to zero or below across the region. Once those clouds do move in, I would expect conditions to warm slightly, but that comes with additional amounts of precipitation."The latest round of snow is expected to start after midnight Tuesday night and last through at least noon Wednesday. Accumulations should be light, but a dusting to three inches is possible with higher amounts likely toward Kansas City and areas south of St. Joseph."St. Joe will get kind of a glancing blow of this system," Temeyer pointed out, "with higher amounts along the Missouri River and south. Areas to the north (of KC) should see, generally, around an inch or so."Temeyer says the snow that's already on the ground has helped keep temperatures low, and it will continue to do so over the next couple of days, though highs by Friday should be in the upper 20s, with 30s expected this weekend and low-to-mid 40s by early next week.But until then, lows will still be pretty cold. Lows on Wednesday and Thursday night should be anywhere from single digits below or above zero."Lows are still going to be extremely cold overnight the next few nights," Temeyer said. "Once we get that warmer air mass into the region, then we're looking at conditions improving. So by Friday or Friday night is when we'll start to see a significant warm up."You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">Bitter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cold</a> remains across the Great Plains this morning and has spread to areas along the central and western Gulf Coast. More record lows were recorded today: <a href="https://t.co/7ZPAEJIMgU">pic.twitter.com/7ZPAEJIMgU</a>&mdash; NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/status/1361674571884101633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>

Worst of the cold has passed, relief on the way per National Weather Service

Gun shots were fired into a house in south St. Joseph, but no
one was wounded in the incident.

St. Joseph police report officers responded to a shots fired
call in the 1700 block of Vernon Street at around 7 o’clock last night. From
one to three shots were fired into the house. No one was struck.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostGun shots were fired into a house in south St. Joseph, but no
one was wounded in the incident.St. Joseph police report officers responded to a shots fired
call in the 1700 block of Vernon Street at around 7 o’clock last night. From
one to three shots were fired into the house. No one was struck.No suspect has been arrested.The investigation continues.

Shots fire into south St. Joseph house; no one hurt

Northwest Missouri COVID-19 vaccine clinic events have been canceled for this week.

Yesterday, Governor Mike Parson announced that all COVID-19 vaccination events in partnership with the Missouri National Guard, Department of Health and Senior Services, and State Emergency Management Agency scheduled for February 15th through 19th are being canceled in the interest of safety due to extreme winter weather.

Good news is, a new way to register for the COVID vaccine... called Vaccine Navigator... is up. 

Regional Implementation Team Lead Jayne White says Vaccine Navigator is a system that the state of Missouri is using... similar to a waitlist...

"Even if you're not in a tier that is currently open, you can go register on Navigator and it will put you into the right tier so that as we move forward across the state with the vaccine rollout when you're in an open tier and there is an event within your region of the state, it will then send you an email saying hey there's an event in your area that you can register for," says White to the St. Joseph Post.

White says Vaccine Navigator was not up and running for the first few vaccine clinics. 

"We did use it this last weekend in Cameron and it worked wonderfully. There is always a few technical issues but we were able to work through those and it went really well," White says. "It also allows, on the backside, once you arrive at the event it's a quick check-in and then the staff is able to enter your dose that is administered and it goes straight to the state's system for data entry."

White says the biggest problem for vaccine clinics right now is the bitterly cold weather we are experiencing. 

"The weather is causing us some issues you know with it being cold out and we had planned for the Cameron one to be a drive-thru event but we pivoted to that being inside just because it was so cold so we are hopeful that it's going to warm back up hear in the next week or so so that we can get back to the plans and we are trying when we plan events across the region, we're trying to make sure we have a plan for an outdoor drive-thru event as well as an inside event," says White.

White says region H is provided a set number of vaccines each week which have been enough for the demand they are currently seeing for the vaccine.

"We're hopeful that everybody takes advantage of these events as they come across the region because I will say the supply going to local public health and the FQHCs is not near that of what's going to these events so I would encourage the public that if they are in the open tiers and looking for vaccine, that they reach out to the department of health and that state phone number to get registered so that they can take advantage of these opportunities," says White. 

White says it's important to keep your options open. 

"I just encourage people that if you're on a waitlist somewhere, to get yourselves on any waitlist that you can get on so if you're on a waitlist with another provider within the region or somewhere like that, I always encourage everybody to get on more then one list and take that opportunity for vaccine whenever it comes. Don't wait necessarily just because you're on one list," says White. 

To sign-up visit the website <a href="https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator/">covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator</a> or call 877-435-8411.

By WHITNEE ICESt. Joseph PostNorthwest Missouri COVID-19 vaccine clinic events have been canceled for this week.Yesterday, Governor Mike Parson announced that all COVID-19 vaccination events in partnership with the Missouri National Guard, Department of Health and Senior Services, and State Emergency Management Agency scheduled for February 15th through 19th are being canceled in the interest of safety due to extreme winter weather.Good news is, a new way to register for the COVID vaccine... called Vaccine Navigator... is up. Regional Implementation Team Lead Jayne White says Vaccine Navigator is a system that the state of Missouri is using... similar to a waitlist..."Even if you're not in a tier that is currently open, you can go register on Navigator and it will put you into the right tier so that as we move forward across the state with the vaccine rollout when you're in an open tier and there is an event within your region of the state, it will then send you an email saying hey there's an event in your area that you can register for," says White to the St. Joseph Post.White says Vaccine Navigator was not up and running for the first few vaccine clinics. "We did use it this last weekend in Cameron and it worked wonderfully. There is always a few technical issues but we were able to work through those and it went really well," White says. "It also allows, on the backside, once you arrive at the event it's a quick check-in and then the staff is able to enter your dose that is administered and it goes straight to the state's system for data entry."White says the biggest problem for vaccine clinics right now is the bitterly cold weather we are experiencing. "The weather is causing us some issues you know with it being cold out and we had planned for the Cameron one to be a drive-thru event but we pivoted to that being inside just because it was so cold so we are hopeful that it's going to warm back up hear in the next week or so so that we can get back to the plans and we are trying when we plan events across the region, we're trying to make sure we have a plan for an outdoor drive-thru event as well as an inside event," says White.White says region H is provided a set number of vaccines each week which have been enough for the demand they are currently seeing for the vaccine."We're hopeful that everybody takes advantage of these events as they come across the region because I will say the supply going to local public health and the FQHCs is not near that of what's going to these events so I would encourage the public that if they are in the open tiers and looking for vaccine, that they reach out to the department of health and that state phone number to get registered so that they can take advantage of these opportunities," says White. White says it's important to keep your options open. "I just encourage people that if you're on a waitlist somewhere, to get yourselves on any waitlist that you can get on so if you're on a waitlist with another provider within the region or somewhere like that, I always encourage everybody to get on more then one list and take that opportunity for vaccine whenever it comes. Don't wait necessarily just because you're on one list," says White. To sign-up visit the website <a href="https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator/">covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator</a> or call 877-435-8411.

COVID vaccine clinics have been canceled this week

Rolling blackouts instituted by Evergy to cope with a strained power grid have turned out some traffic lights in St. Joseph.

St. Joseph police urge motorists to treat any intersection in which the traffic light is out as a four-way stop.

Evergy says the extreme cold has strained its ability to supply power to its service area. It has begun rolling blackouts to ease the strain. Evergy says the power outages should last from 30-to-60 minutes.

Intersections in east St. Joseph, including the intersection at Frederick Avenue and Interstate 29, went out this morning. Other intersections have been affected as well.

In a Nixel alert, the St. Joseph Police Department stated, "Due to power outages any
intersection with a traffic light that is currently out please treat the
intersection as a 4 way stop."

Rolling blackouts instituted by Evergy to cope with a strained power grid have turned out some traffic lights in St. Joseph.St. Joseph police urge motorists to treat any intersection in which the traffic light is out as a four-way stop.Evergy says the extreme cold has strained its ability to supply power to its service area. It has begun rolling blackouts to ease the strain. Evergy says the power outages should last from 30-to-60 minutes.Intersections in east St. Joseph, including the intersection at Frederick Avenue and Interstate 29, went out this morning. Other intersections have been affected as well.In a Nixel alert, the St. Joseph Police Department stated, "Due to power outages any
intersection with a traffic light that is currently out please treat the
intersection as a 4 way stop."

If traffic lights go out, treat intersection as a 4-way stop

After extreme
cold temperatures this morning, we will begin to emerge from the deep freeze.

Still, the
high today will likely only reach 7 with dangerous wind chills of minus-14 to
minus-24.

There is a
chance of snow overnight with a low of 2-above.

That chance
of snow continues into tomorrow morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy with a high
of 22.

There are widespread school closings throughout the region due to the extreme cold.

St. Joseph public schools
are closed today, completely. The St. Joseph School District says there will be
no remote learning today and district employees will not be required to report
to work due to the bitter cold weather and the possibility of rolling power outages.

St. Joseph Catholic
Schools are closed today. Principals and teachers will communicate with families
regarding expectations today.

Savannah R3 is closed
today with no remote learning.

Missouri Western State
University has closed its St. Joseph campus today.

Northwest Missouri State
University has also decided to extend the closure of its Maryville campus
through today. The Northwest-Kansas City campus also is closed today. All
classes will be online or remote.

Missouri officials also
have closed all state offices today due to the bitter cold and dangerous wind
chill conditions. State offices plan to reopen tomorrow.

Click <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/569e31a0-9b55-4bc5-a4b4-3bda13d69dac">here</a> for a full list
of closings.

The weather forecast
begins to improve today with temperatures expected to rise above
freezing this weekend with a high of 37 on Saturday and 41 on Sunday.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAfter extreme
cold temperatures this morning, we will begin to emerge from the deep freeze.Still, the
high today will likely only reach 7 with dangerous wind chills of minus-14 to
minus-24.There is a
chance of snow overnight with a low of 2-above.That chance
of snow continues into tomorrow morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy with a high
of 22.There are widespread school closings throughout the region due to the extreme cold.St. Joseph public schools
are closed today, completely. The St. Joseph School District says there will be
no remote learning today and district employees will not be required to report
to work due to the bitter cold weather and the possibility of rolling power outages.St. Joseph Catholic
Schools are closed today. Principals and teachers will communicate with families
regarding expectations today.Savannah R3 is closed
today with no remote learning.Missouri Western State
University has closed its St. Joseph campus today.Northwest Missouri State
University has also decided to extend the closure of its Maryville campus
through today. The Northwest-Kansas City campus also is closed today. All
classes will be online or remote.Missouri officials also
have closed all state offices today due to the bitter cold and dangerous wind
chill conditions. State offices plan to reopen tomorrow.Click <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/569e31a0-9b55-4bc5-a4b4-3bda13d69dac">here</a> for a full list
of closings.The weather forecast
begins to improve today with temperatures expected to rise above
freezing this weekend with a high of 37 on Saturday and 41 on Sunday.

After extreme cold this morning, temperatures begin to rise

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Monday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Honda passenger vehicle driven by Timmothy M. Henzel, 34, Bellvue, NE., was eastbound on Interstate 29 eight miles south of Oregon.

The car attempted to pass a 2007 GMC Sierra drive by Tyson L. Gibbons, 46, Tarkio,&nbsp; and then rear-ended a 2011 International MODOT snow plow. 

After the collision, the Honda skid into the driving lane. The GMC pickup struck the Honda.

Atchison-Holt EMS transported Henzel to Mosaic Life Care. There were no other injuries reported. All three drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Monday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Honda passenger vehicle driven by Timmothy M. Henzel, 34, Bellvue, NE., was eastbound on Interstate 29 eight miles south of Oregon.The car attempted to pass a 2007 GMC Sierra drive by Tyson L. Gibbons, 46, Tarkio,&nbsp; and then rear-ended a 2011 International MODOT snow plow. After the collision, the Honda skid into the driving lane. The GMC pickup struck the Honda.Atchison-Holt EMS transported Henzel to Mosaic Life Care. There were no other injuries reported. All three drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

Driver hospitalized after vehicle rear-ends snow plow truck

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Monday in Buchanan COunty.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford Escort driven by Dezstaney C. Felder, 26, St. Joseph, was eastbound on the exit ramp from northbound Interstate 29 to eastbound U.S. 36.

The car began to slide, traveled off the road and struck a sign.

A private vehicle transported Felder to Mosaic Life Care. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Monday in Buchanan COunty.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford Escort driven by Dezstaney C. Felder, 26, St. Joseph, was eastbound on the exit ramp from northbound Interstate 29 to eastbound U.S. 36.The car began to slide, traveled off the road and struck a sign.A private vehicle transported Felder to Mosaic Life Care. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Woman from St. Joe hospitalized after car strikes sign

Evergy is asking customers to conserve electricity as much as possible through Wednesday due to the extreme cold. They've also begun controlled outages as a way to conserve energy.

The region's coldest weather in decades is creating a high demand for electricity.&nbsp; It's also driving high demand for natural gas, straining the gas supply available to generate electricity.

Icy conditions have also made availability of wind power uncertain.

Evergy is also conducting rolling blackouts, starting Monday to conserve energy. These blackouts can last between 30-60 minutes. Already more than 30,000 customers have lost power for a half hour this afternoon, according to a Tweet from Evergy.

Evergy's website is also experiencing technical issues due to a high volume of traffic.

Evergy is encouraging customers to turn their thermostats a little cooler, between 65-68 degrees. They also ask that you avoid using space heaters.

You should also close blinds and shades to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostEvergy is asking customers to conserve electricity as much as possible through Wednesday due to the extreme cold. They've also begun controlled outages as a way to conserve energy.The region's coldest weather in decades is creating a high demand for electricity.&nbsp; It's also driving high demand for natural gas, straining the gas supply available to generate electricity.Icy conditions have also made availability of wind power uncertain.Evergy is also conducting rolling blackouts, starting Monday to conserve energy. These blackouts can last between 30-60 minutes. Already more than 30,000 customers have lost power for a half hour this afternoon, according to a Tweet from Evergy.Evergy's website is also experiencing technical issues due to a high volume of traffic.Evergy is encouraging customers to turn their thermostats a little cooler, between 65-68 degrees. They also ask that you avoid using space heaters.You should also close blinds and shades to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.

Evergy conducting rolling blackouts to conserve energy, asking customers to turn heat down

St.
Joseph public schools will be closed Tuesday, due to the extreme cold weather
forecast for Tuesday morning.

The
cancellation of in-person classes includes Virtual Academy, Hillyard Technical
Center, Webster’s Adult Education classes, and preschool. School officials say they
will make a decision tomorrow about evening activities. There will not be
remote learning Tuesday.

The St. Joseph Public School
District was off Monday for President’s Day.

St. Joseph Catholic Schools have canceled
classes for Tuesday, stating principals and teachers will communicate with
families regarding expectations for the day.

Missouri
Western State and Northwest Missouri State University announced it will extend their closings through Tuesday, due to the
extreme cold weather.

A Wind Chill Warning remains in effect across the entire area until noon Tuesday, while a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through Monday evening.

MWSU
closed its St. Joseph campus Monday due to the bitter cold temperatures made
worse by plunging wind chills well below zero.

Northwest Missouri State University also cancelled on-campus classes Monday.

MWSU
says online classes should be held as scheduled. In-person classes may be conducted in a virtual environment at the
instructor's discretion.

The Maryville campus of NWMSU is
closed with the Northwest-Kansas City campus in Gladstone also closed. Only the
dorms and dining halls will be open on the Maryville campus.

By BRENT MARTIN and TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostSt.
Joseph public schools will be closed Tuesday, due to the extreme cold weather
forecast for Tuesday morning.The
cancellation of in-person classes includes Virtual Academy, Hillyard Technical
Center, Webster’s Adult Education classes, and preschool. School officials say they
will make a decision tomorrow about evening activities. There will not be
remote learning Tuesday.The St. Joseph Public School
District was off Monday for President’s Day.St. Joseph Catholic Schools have canceled
classes for Tuesday, stating principals and teachers will communicate with
families regarding expectations for the day.Missouri
Western State and Northwest Missouri State University announced it will extend their closings through Tuesday, due to the
extreme cold weather.A Wind Chill Warning remains in effect across the entire area until noon Tuesday, while a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through Monday evening.MWSU
closed its St. Joseph campus Monday due to the bitter cold temperatures made
worse by plunging wind chills well below zero.Northwest Missouri State University also cancelled on-campus classes Monday.MWSU
says online classes should be held as scheduled. In-person classes may be conducted in a virtual environment at the
instructor's discretion.The Maryville campus of NWMSU is
closed with the Northwest-Kansas City campus in Gladstone also closed. Only the
dorms and dining halls will be open on the Maryville campus.

St. Joseph public, Catholic schools closed tomorrow; MWSU, NWMSU extends closing

A boil water advisory has been issued for south St. Joseph as
well as southern Buchanan County, including Faucett.

Missouri American Water issued a precautionary boil water
advisory this morning for that area, stating that it was due to a power outage
at Union and Landis Standpipes. Missouri American expects to have the boil advisory
in place for 48 hours.

Under the advisory, any water used for drinking or cooking
should be brought to a rolling boil for three minutes. Water can be used for
bathing, washing, and other non-consumable uses.

For more information or to see a map of the affected
area please go to Missouriamwater.com or call 1-866-430-0820.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA boil water advisory has been issued for south St. Joseph as
well as southern Buchanan County, including Faucett.Missouri American Water issued a precautionary boil water
advisory this morning for that area, stating that it was due to a power outage
at Union and Landis Standpipes. Missouri American expects to have the boil advisory
in place for 48 hours.Under the advisory, any water used for drinking or cooking
should be brought to a rolling boil for three minutes. Water can be used for
bathing, washing, and other non-consumable uses.For more information or to see a map of the affected
area please go to Missouriamwater.com or call 1-866-430-0820.

Boil advisory issued for south St. Joseph, Faucett area

Missouri
Western State University has announced it will extend its closing due to the extremely
cold weather through tomorrow.

MWSU
closed its St. Joseph campus today due to the bitter cold temperatures made worse
by plunging wind chills well below zero.

Both
Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville have
cancelled on-campus classes for today.

The St. Joseph Public School
District is off today for President’s Day.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri
Western State University has announced it will extend its closing due to the extremely
cold weather through tomorrow.MWSU
closed its St. Joseph campus today due to the bitter cold temperatures made worse
by plunging wind chills well below zero.Both
Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville have
cancelled on-campus classes for today.MWSU
says online classes should be held as scheduled. In-person classes may be conducted in a virtual environment at the
instructor's discretion.The Maryville campus of NWMSU is
closed with the Northwest-Kansas City campus in Gladstone also closed. Only the
dorms and dining halls will be open on the Maryville campus.The St. Joseph Public School
District is off today for President’s Day.

MWSU to remain closed through tomorrow due to bitter cold

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says the recent human
trafficking bust in St. Joseph is an example of how law enforcement agencies
working together can make a real difference.

Puett says the joint effort worked smoothly during the bust.

“We had judges ready to review search warrants. We had members
of the sheriff’s office, obviously the (St. Joseph) police department, the highway
patrol, Kansas City Police Department, Springfield Police Department, victim
advocate groups, there was somebody from Probation and Parole there. It was a
huge effort,” Puett says of the February 5th operation.

The Missouri Attorney General’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task
Force supervised the operation.

The crackdown focused on two St. Joseph truck stops:&nbsp; Bucky’s Express and Love’s Travel Stop.

Law enforcement officers arrested three people with other
arrests pending.

Puett says human trafficking busts also seek to help victims.

“And they brought a medical team in from Joplin and some
officers from Springfield to work on these girls that are being trafficked into
our community and try to get them some help,” Puett says.

Law enforcement rescued eight victims, two of whom were
children, one an infant. The victims have been provided food, lodging, medical
treatment, counseling, and drug rehabilitation.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBuchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says the recent human
trafficking bust in St. Joseph is an example of how law enforcement agencies
working together can make a real difference.Puett says the joint effort worked smoothly during the bust.“We had judges ready to review search warrants. We had members
of the sheriff’s office, obviously the (St. Joseph) police department, the highway
patrol, Kansas City Police Department, Springfield Police Department, victim
advocate groups, there was somebody from Probation and Parole there. It was a
huge effort,” Puett says of the February 5th operation.The Missouri Attorney General’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task
Force supervised the operation.The crackdown focused on two St. Joseph truck stops:&nbsp; Bucky’s Express and Love’s Travel Stop.Law enforcement officers arrested three people with other
arrests pending.Puett says human trafficking busts also seek to help victims.“And they brought a medical team in from Joplin and some
officers from Springfield to work on these girls that are being trafficked into
our community and try to get them some help,” Puett says.Law enforcement rescued eight victims, two of whom were
children, one an infant. The victims have been provided food, lodging, medical
treatment, counseling, and drug rehabilitation.

Human trafficking crackdown an example of law enforcement cooperation

River Bluff Brewing is still relatively new to St. Joseph.

"Just over two years ago," co-founder and vice president Edison Derr said, when asked about the brewery's opening.

It didn't take long for the locally owned brewery on Frederick Avenue to become a popular spot. The Chiefs making the Super Bowl in 2020 certainly helped business.

"The Super Bowl last year for us here was a good time," Derr said. "We gave away a jersey...it was a good time."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613163190551.jpeg" alt="River Bluff Brewing opened its location on Frederick Avenue a little more than two years ago. The brewery is now preparing to open a second location in downtown Kansas City. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>River Bluff Brewing opened its location on Frederick Avenue a little more than two years ago. The brewery is now preparing to open a second location in downtown Kansas City. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostRiver Bluff Brewing is still relatively new to St. Joseph."Just over two years ago," co-founder and vice president Edison Derr said, when asked about the brewery's opening."Holy smokes."It didn't take long for the locally owned brewery on Frederick Avenue to become a popular spot. The Chiefs making the Super Bowl in 2020 certainly helped business."The Super Bowl last year for us here was a good time," Derr said. "We gave away a jersey...it was a good time."Then, March came. We all know what happened next. Theatres, hair salons, entertainment venues, bars, restaurants and non-essential businesses had to shutter their doors in the wake of COVID-19.River Bluff was closed for more than six weeks. And like so many others, their staff did what they could to stay afloat. In the case of River Bluff, this meant filling and hauling growlers out to the parking lot, trying to fill an avalanche of to-go orders."We were pretty busy," Derr recalled. "There was three of us, running all around the parking lot trying to take orders. And even though the service wasn't as good as we wanted it to be," he chuckled, "thankfully, everyone appreciated it. And we really appreciated them."There were some exhausting nights for sure from us running around. We're cramping, stretching each other's calves out and stuff, just trying to get beer to people."River Bluff eventually switched to cans for their to-go orders, which helped reduce the stress. And the cramps.The to-go orders helped, but the pandemic took its toll."We stayed...pretty good," Derr said. "Even, I would say, you know? If that. But, our employees, they never...they didn't lose a beat, really."Everyone kept their jobs, but money was tight. Derr and co-founder Chris Lanman wanted to find a way to keep their business growing, and to keep their employees on the books.In late summer, they started exploring the idea of a new, second location in Kansas City."We just did a lot of brain storming," Derr said. "One of the options was, if we could find a spot that was affordable. You know, if we're going to be stuck forever at 50 percent or less (capacity), maybe opening another place up, if the numbers were right, and using about the same number of workers would be the best way to move forward."The search for the second location really didn't take all that long."The first place we looked at, we loved," Derr said. "We kept looking and every place we looked at, we kept comparing to the first place, so we ended up with the first place."That first place was the Historic Kansas City Water Department Building at 201 South Main Street in the River Market - a brick structure that first opened in 1904 and was then placed on the National Registrar or Historic Places 90 years later.Located just south of the Missouri River, and a stone's throw north of the Power and Light District, Derr is confident the experience will be almost identical to the one patrons get in St. Joseph."We're hoping to keep the atmosphere very similar," he said. "We hope that we have as much luck with hiring some of the greatest people in the world to help us out."The new location will bring a mixture of new beer, and also some of the more popular choices in St. Joe."We're going to have some of the similar beers," Derr said. "Our staples up here that sell really well and people get mad when we pull off, so we'll take those down there as well."The exact first day isn't known yet, but management is optimistic for a late spring or early summer opening.River Bluff is also subleasing a kitchen at the new location, so they will have food options in Kansas City - something not on the menu in St. Joseph.In the wake of a rough year, and with a mix of old and new in the heart of Kansas City, Derr is hopeful that a second River Bluff brewery will be a sign of better times ahead - both for his business and everybody else."We're working hard," Derr said. "Our staff up here is working hard, and we can't wait to see everyone after vaccines and after we get the okay from the CDC and the government and everything to get back to life."Let's do it, let's have a good time, man. Life's no fun if you're not able to smile and have a beer, you know?"You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/984391888&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/river-bluff-brewing-co-founder-edison-derr-talks-about-a-second-brewery-opening-in-kansas-city" title="River Bluff Brewing co-founder Edison Derr talks about a second brewery opening in Kansas City." target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">River Bluff Brewing co-founder Edison Derr talks about a second brewery opening in Kansas City.</a></div></div>